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Cold sores

jjohn

jjohn

Registered User
Guys,

I always get these, at least 2 times a month, I think I got the virus about 1 year ago, and since then, it keeps giving me cold sores. Any supplement that you have used to treat this?

I have orabase, but you just use it to help them dissapear. But I know it's an infection, so would any echinacea product work?
 
It's a virus. I use to get them a lot during flight school. Flight Doc said they are sometimes stress induced. Valtrex helped me out a lot. Instead of the usual 2 or so weeks to clear up, they cleared up within a week with the Valtrex.
 
f18jock said:
It's a virus. I use to get them a lot during flight school. Flight Doc said they are sometimes stress induced. Valtrex helped me out a lot. Instead of the usual 2 or so weeks to clear up, they cleared up within a week with the Valtrex.
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I will ask the doc about it.. I know I am really stressed these days, so it's a possibility it's reocurring so often..
 
Over 90% of people have the virus that causes cold sores. Only a small percentage of those people actually ever have symptoms. The virus hides in the nerves in your face and, during times of stress or weakened immune system, it travels to the nerve endings in the lips and creates a sore. Your body fights them off eventually, and the virus retreats back up the nerves to wait to strike again. Alot of people actually outgrow them, but the virus will remain dormant in the facial nerves forever. That's why you are never "cured" even though you may never get another sore.

If you get cold sores that often, you really should be on an antiviral like Valtrex. Everytime you get a sore the virus is damaging the DNA in your cells (it takes over the cell machinery and turns it into a virus-producing factory), and there is always the potential for cancer. There is one over the counter antiviral called Abreva that will shorten the healing time, but twice a month cold sores really warrants some more aggressive treatment.
 
jdownesbaird said:
Over 90% of people have the virus that causes cold sores. Only a small percentage of those people actually ever have symptoms. The virus hides in the nerves in your face and, during times of stress or weakened immune system, it travels to the nerve endings in the lips and creates a sore. Your body fights them off eventually, and the virus retreats back up the nerves to wait to strike again. Alot of people actually outgrow them, but the virus will remain dormant in the facial nerves forever. That's why you are never "cured" even though you may never get another sore.

If you get cold sores that often, you really should be on an antiviral like Valtrex. Everytime you get a sore the virus is damaging the DNA in your cells (it takes over the cell machinery and turns it into a virus-producing factory), and there is always the potential for cancer. There is one over the counter antiviral called Abreva that will shorten the healing time, but twice a month cold sores really warrants some more aggressive treatment.
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Yeah I guess a doctor appointment is something I will do next week...
 
AnonyMoose; said:
you might want to watch your intake of l-arginine.
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Good point!
The reason you get Cold Sores with NO2 products is that Cold Sores, also referred to as Fever Blisters or Herpes Simplex 1 Virus, are caused by a herpes virus. Most often, this is the herpes simplex 1 virus. As it turns out, the herpes simplex virus has a high affinity and a high requirement for the amino acid, arginine, the most important amino acid in any NO2 product. By the way, the virus can remain dormant in our bodies and can break out due to colds, fevers, exposure to excessive sunlight, during stress or illness, or menstrual periods.
The amino acid, Lysine, on the other hand inhibits viral replication. By the way, arginine will usually bind to the lysine, making lysine useless. This is why additional lysine supplementation is required. This is also the reason it is advised not to take arginine and lysine simultaneously.
Other compounds that inhibit the herpes virus include vitamin c with bioflavonoids, zinc, vitamin e, lemon balm, the proanthocyanidins in grape seed extract, echinacea, elderberry, and so on.
People prone to cold sores are advised to avoid diet high in arginine. These foods might include nuts, peanuts, and chocolate.
 
Check out a product called Choraphor. I have used it to CURE, yes cure about 15 people. **** totally works and works well. Expensive but worth it.
 
Add L-Lysine and Vit. C into your supps. Arginine / NO products will definitely boost your chances of getting them.

Once you do get them, Abreva, if applied as soon as you feel the 'tingle' will shorten the time that you have them.

If you are getting them twice a month, you are either super stressed, over-tired, out in the sun too much, or OD'ing on Arginine/NO products.

Did something recently change in your diet? If so, identify it and get rid of it. I ~maybe~ get one cold sore /year now. When I would get super-stressed/burnt out, I would get them often and lots of times multiple at a time (sometimes in my nose or on my cheek). Changed a few things and its no longer an issue.
 
Here are some great home tips that REALLY work well for me. It doesn't always prevent them but it makes them smaller in size and less in duration.

1. Supplement with L-lysine. At least 500mg-1000mg a day. When I feel stressed, tired, dry lips, etc, I bump it to 1500mg a day.

2. As soon as you feel one coming on (that hot, warm, itchy sensation) grab some ice and ice your lips down for about 15 minutes. Do this every hour or so if possible. I find the icing of lips really cuts down on the size of the sore and sometime prevents it. I have no science behind it but it works, maybe the virus doesn't thrive well in the cold.

3. After that, I actually dab fingernail polish remover on it. I've used all the other stuff but the remover has some sort of acetone or something that really dries it out. I use a q-tip to apply it every 2 hours or so. It may give you a dry spot on your lip but it's better than a festering wet looking sore isn't it?
 
TheNinja said:
Here are some great home tips that REALLY work well for me. It doesn't always prevent them but it makes them smaller in size and less in duration.

1. Supplement with L-lysine. At least 500mg-1000mg a day. When I feel stressed, tired, dry lips, etc, I bump it to 1500mg a day.

2. As soon as you feel one coming on (that hot, warm, itchy sensation) grab some ice and ice your lips down for about 15 minutes. Do this every hour or so if possible. I find the icing of lips really cuts down on the size of the sore and sometime prevents it. I have no science behind it but it works, maybe the virus doesn't thrive well in the cold.

3. After that, I actually dab fingernail polish remover on it. I've used all the other stuff but the remover has some sort of acetone or something that really dries it out. I use a q-tip to apply it every 2 hours or so. It may give you a dry spot on your lip but it's better than a festering wet looking sore isn't it?
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Icing works well, and in a pinch a dab of toothpaste can help dry it out quickly if you don't have nail polish remover handy.
 
Wow thanks guys. A buddy of mine had some Valtrex, so I took 4 caps yesterday, now I'm using Zilactin and it feels a lot better now.

I think that it makes sense to cut off L-arg. I also beleive that a diet high in protein (50% for me) can help them appear as well.

I finally got my permanent job, so there's a lot of stress releif here, we'll see if it reappears!

Thanks a bunch for the help!
 
LegalGear said:
Check out a product called Choraphor. I have used it to CURE, yes cure about 15 people. **** totally works and works well. Expensive but worth it.
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St-John's wort??? You think that cures it? That thing looks like a rip off..
 
jjohn said:
Guys,

I always get these, at least 2 times a month, I think I got the virus about 1 year ago, and since then, it keeps giving me cold sores. Any supplement that you have used to treat this?

I have orabase, but you just use it to help them dissapear. But I know it's an infection, so would any echinacea product work?
Click to expand...

Screw all the supplements. The onyl tried and tested method of suppressing the activity of the herpes simplex virus 1 & 2 is to take suppressive doses of valtrex daily. Looks like you have greater than 6-8 recurrences per year. It' sjust 500mg daily, VERY benign medication. Cheaper than making these crazy concotions that are not proven by any means.

Talk to your primary care and get on it. Don't change your diet. There is NO SUCH THING AS A CURE for herpes labialis!
 
You need to learn what you trigger is. A friend of mine always got them from too much sun exposure. I have found that lack of sleep and stress are my trigger. I've tried a bunch of different things, but I've found controlling my stress levels and sleeping habits to be the most important thing.

You have two main options and oral anti-viral like some have suggested: aciclovir (Zovirax), valaciclovir (Valtrex), famciclovir (Famvir), and penciclovir or a topical: Docosanol (Abreva), Tromantadine, and Zilactin.

Personally, I use Abreva because it's over the counter and effective at controlling the size and severity of the cold sore. Once you feel the tingle, immediately apply Abreva aggressively to the area. You can expect much smaller sores and much quicker healing times.

Joe
 
I called the MRI hotline one time to ask them about cold sores in relation to their no2 and the guy told me to take BHT, but the thing about BHT I don't like is that it swells your liver!
 
DeerDeer said:
You cna also get valtrex at 2gm bid for 1 day and it can shorten it or even prevent it at its prodrome (bruning, tingling).
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This protocol has worked well for me in the past. I take lysine 1.5g daily and then use the high dose Valtrex when I feel one coming on.
 
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